25
January
2016
|
11:51
Europe/London

Richard Dawkins’ ‘mysterious’ world premiere

  • Captivating story with invisible characters, video animation and surround-sound music
  • Malone’s electronic score in surround sound completely immerses the audience in the drama
“MYSTERIOUS 44"

The voice of one of the country’s best known atheists can be heard in an opera based on a controversial unfinished novel by Mark Twain.

The opera, written by University of Manchester lecturer in composition Dr Kevin Malone, is based on the celebrated American author’s final novel, written between 1897 and 1908 and never completed.

Dr Malone wrote the narrative, libretto and music for ‘Mysterious 44’, which lasts for two hours and will be premiered tonight (25 January) at the RNCM as part of the New Music North West Festival.

Directed by Caroline Clegg, a cast of 15 opera singers tell this captivating story by time travelling with two invisible characters, video animation and surround-sound music.

This is a personal yet universal story where each person who sees it will ask themselves about their belief systems, and how they view other people's beliefs.
Dr Kevin Malone

Dr Malone met with Richard Dawkins to record his three dramatic recitations from Twain's manuscripts which provide a shocking finale.

Malone’s electronic score in surround sound completely immerses the audience in the drama which swings from the epic to the intimate, from interior thoughts to exterior comedy and tragedy.

Inspired by the writings of Darwin, Twain’s story is set in 1490, a few decades after the invention of Gutenberg's press and the start of the Renaissance.

Three boys are approached by a mysterious stranger who calls himself "44" after a wrongly-accused woman is stoned to death.

Like the monolith in “2001: A Space Odyssey”, the stranger sparks self-realisation, and one boy steps forward to question superstition and religion.

Dr Malone says: “This is a personal yet universal story where each person who sees it will ask themselves about their belief systems, and how they view other people's beliefs. This is especially important in this era with escalating conflicts about different faith, non-believers, and science."

Performances:

25 Jan 2016 at 7:00pm, Royal Northern College of Music Studio Theatre (£15/13/7, www.tickets.rncm.ac.uk/single/selectSeating.aspx?p=11333).

29 Jan 2016 at 7:30pm, Z-Arts Theatre, Hulme (£12/7, www.z-arts.org/events/mysterious-44-the-new-mark-twain-electronic-opera/)

1 Feb 2016 at 5:15pm, Manchester Central Library Performance Space (£10, www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysterious-44-the-new-mark-twain-electronic-opera-tickets-20137521870)

Presented by Mysterious Opera in association with Caroline Clegg of Feelgood Theatre Company.

Composer/librettist: Kevin Malone

Director: Caroline Clegg

Opera website:

www.opusmalone.com/Mysterious44.html

Commissioned by Manchester Opera Project with funds from Arts Council England and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.

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